RACISM
Why Checking A Box Doesn’t Make You Black or Korean
Unpacking the transracial theory which set the internet ablaze
When Rachel Dolezal first “identified as Black,” I rolled my eyes. Like many Black people, I hoped that these claims would come to a speedy halt. But, years later, Rachel still insists she is Black. However, Black folks are no longer alone in facing the transracial movement. Recently, Korean people got a piece of the action.
A white person named Oli London recently came out as transracial. After getting surgery to obtain “Korean eyes,” they want society to recognize them as Korean. The transracial theory is beyond problematic — it’s a blatant example of racism. Let’s unpack this.
Racial identity is so much deeper than how Black or Korean people look on the outside.
Black people cannot take off their skin or turn themselves into white people to avoid personal and systemic instances of racism. Likewise, Korean people cannot easily change their eyes, skin color, or facial features to mask as white people. We’re born looking this way. If you want to know what Black or Korean people experience, you can speak to us, read articles, books, and autobiographies. But, when instead, white people pretend to be Black or Korean, they undermine our unique experiences and claim an identity that doesn’t belong to them.
Wearing Black hairstyles and getting tanned does not compare to what non-white people go through. Neither does having elective eye surgery. Pretending to be a person of color crosses a line. And society risks normalizing racism when they accept someone’s manufactured “racial identity” as authentic.
Transracial people are not flattering us; they are mocking us, regardless of whether that’s their intent or not. So why do white people think it is okay to play racial dress-up — white privilege. They have the privilege to pay big bucks to alter their appearance and demand that we treat them as if they were born as Black or Korean people. It’s beyond offensive.
I’m not saying that the Dolezal(s) and Oli(s) of the world don’t have the right to play their part. After all, it’s their bodies. However…
